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Knowledge Base

Best practices for using VMware snapshots in the vSphere environment (1025279)

Last Updated: 2/22/2024Categories: Best PracticesTotal Views: 156219Language:
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Learn how VMware Skyline Advisor and Skyline Health Diagnostics work together to provide proactive intelligence and self-service log analysis.

Use Skyline Advisor to avoid issues before they occur across VCF, vSphere, vSAN, NSX, vROps & Horizon. Skyline Findings are based on top KBs, VMSAs/CVEs and design best practices.

Use Skyline Health Diagnostics to root cause vSphere & vSAN logs when an issue occurs. Skyline Health Diagnostic Findings are based on top KBs and VMSA/CVEs. You can use the Skyline Health Diagnostics tool in online or offline mode.

If you require additional help from technical support, please use Skyline Advisor to initiate a Log Assist to reduce time to upload logs. TSEs can also initiate logs to reduce effort.

Purpose

This article provides best practices for using VMware snapshots feature.

Resolution

Follow these best practices when using VMware snapshots in the vSphere environment:

Do not use VMware snapshots as backups.

The snapshot file is only a change log of the original virtual disk, it creates a place holder disk, virtual_machine-00000x-delta.vmdk, to store data changes since the time the snapshot was created. If the base disks are deleted, the snapshot files are not sufficient to restore a virtual machine.

Maximum of 32 snapshots are supported in a chain. However, for a better performance use only 2 to 3 snapshots.

Do not use a single snapshot for more than 72 hours.

The snapshot file continues to grow in size when it is retained for a longer period. This can cause the snapshot storage location to run out of space and impact the system performance.

When using a third-party backup software, ensure that snapshots are deleted after a successful backup.

Note: Snapshots taken by third party software (through API) may not appear in the Snapshot Manager. Routinely check for snapshots through the command-line.

You cannot increase the size of the Virtual Machine disk while the VM is running on snapshot during powered ON/OFF status. Increment of VMDK disks running on snapshot should never be attempted even using CLI.

Increasing the virtual machine disk size or virtual RDM.
Increasing the disk size when snapshots are still available can corrupt snapshots and result in data loss.

Related Information

VMware Skyline Health Diagnostics for vSphere - FAQ

Increasing the size of a virtual disk

Determining if a virtual machine is using snapshots

Determining if there are leftover delta files or snapshots that VMware vSphere or Infrastructure Client cannot detect

Overview of virtual machine snapshots in vSphere

Configuring vCenter Server to send alarms when virtual machines are running from snapshots

Prácticas recomendadas para el uso de snapshots en el entorno de vSphere

Snapshot removal stops a virtual machine for long time

Detectable by VMware SkylineTM

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